all these things that they are accusing rightly or wrongly mitt romney for. so a very negative campaign and a very unusual one or for david axlerod to run. >> host: you write, edward klein, that what is invariably true about our president is that the most successful ones grow in office. can the same be said of barack obama? has he learned from his mistakes? the answer to these questions will strike many readers of this book as all too clear. i can just hear them chanting in unison: no, no, no. >> guest: well, look at john f. kennedy who came to the oval office truly unprepared to be president and made many mistakes in the first, first year or more including the bay of pigs and other mistakes that he made. it is now generally conceded that kennedy by the time he was assassinated had grown in office considerably and understood how to deal with the military, how to deal with congress, how to deal with, um, conflicting advisers and so forth. i don't want see the happening with barack obama -- i don't see this happening with barack obama. he has not brought in, de